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There is a distinctive feature that is common to the best-dressed men in history, from Petronius to Beau Brummell and Edward VII, to the contemporary (and often anonymous) protagonists of The Sartorialist, the site that has become a world reference for style: personality. If it is true that details make a gentleman, it is also true that these details are never chosen at random, or casually: every choice is the product of reasoning and intuition. Elegance is a feature that belongs to the person, never to objects, which are always the result of a selection, a vision, an inspiration. Objects contribute to creating an idea of style that is based on authenticity and taste: two aesthetic and, also, deeply cultural factors. Indeed, style and culture, authenticity and personality have generated Elégance Sartoriale, Vacheron Constantin’s new collection of watches in the Métiers d’Art series. With its unique heritage of elegant designs, refined movements and superlative workmanship developed in 260 years of history, the Geneva-based Maison interprets the masculine wardrobe on the dials of five limited edition watches, creating a virtual connection with the best bespoke tailoring. The hour circle in the mother-of-pearl dial is decorated with motifs that recall the buttons on a shirt, or a pocket handkerchief peeping discreetly from a jacket. The alligator strap evokes handmade shoes, the pride of every gentleman. For each model, the Maison has also produced a pair of gold cufflinks with patterns that echo the subdial tapestry motifs. These exquisite objects represent a stylish and tasteful interpretation of haute horlogerie, suitable for any time of day or night. Once again, Vacheron Constantin has succeeded in pushing the skill and talent of its master artisans one step further, putting their knowhow at the service of a highly original aesthetic vision. The dials are decorated with precious guilloché motifs, each requiring up to six hours of work, plus the two hours needed to engrave the subdial. The patterns created in the Manufacture are absolutely original and recall the textures of the finest cloths used for sartorial suits: to recreate the volumes, the structure and the light and deep effects of fabrics was a new and enticing challenge for Vacheron Constantin’s master craftsmen. The use of translucent Grand Feu enamel highlights the dial’s technical and chromatic flawlessness: it is necessary to find the
perfect shade for each dial, in a process that can take up to four hours of painstaking work. Every stylistic choice is perfectly complemented by a combination of colours (in the rose or white gold case and strap), communicating a sense of laid-back harmony, as befits true elegance. The Prince of Wales check is the legendary woollen twill fabric that the
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Below, details of the gold subdial with a tapestry-like motif which picks up the paisley, floral and geometrical patterns of pocket squares. Opposite page, the motif, rimmed by a chapter ring, is engraved using a finely adjusted dedicated graving tool.